Homosexuals who faced discrimination in the German military before 2000 will have their records cleared and given financial compensation, the German Cabinet agreed on Wednesday.

The approval from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet came two months after Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer issued an official apology for decades of discrimination and published a study documenting "systematic discrimination" in the Bundeswehr from 1955 to 2000.

"We cannot makes amends for how these people have suffered, but we want to set an example where possible," Kramp-Karrenbauer told German media ahead of the Cabinet announcement.

The legislation will lift military court verdicts imposed for consensual gay sex with a symbolic sum of €3,000 ($3,590) in compensation being paid for each of those verdicts. Those who were dismissed, passed over for promotion or stripped of responsibility will also be eligible for compensation. The defense ministry estimates that around 1,000 people will apply.

Financial damage 'far exceeds' proposed amount

Sven Bäring of the Bundeswehr's LGBT+ group, QueerBW, said the body welcome the announcement, but believes the legislation could go further. Read more via DW